How Luka Doncic Trade to Los Angeles Lakers affects Denver Nuggets

The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers shocked the world on Saturday night with a superstar trade.

Mar 17, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA;  Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) speaks with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the second half at American Airlines Center.

Mar 17, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) speaks with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the second half at American Airlines Center.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

On Saturday night, Matt Moore and I were podcasting live about the Denver Nuggets win over the Charlotte Hornets when an absolute earthquake hit the NBA. Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and we reacted to it live on the show in real time. The podcast clip was glorious.

Anthony Davis is on the Dallas Mavericks now. The Western Conference now and in the future has seen a seismic shift.

How does this affect the Nuggets?

Well, in the immediate future, not much.

The Mavericks were (and might still be) a significant playoff threat before trading their best player. Yes, Luka Doncic was injured for much of this season with a calf injury, but he’s still at worst about the fifth best player in the NBA. At his best? He’s top two with Nikola Jokic.

So in theory, moving him for a worse player causes problems, right?

Well, the Mavericks have suddenly become the biggest team in the league. Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and other guards are still around, but the identity of the Mavericks roster is likely to be physicality, toughness, and defense. Three of Davis, Dereck Lively II, PJ Washington, Naji Marshall, and Daniel Gafford will likely start in the playoffs, which should lead to a pretty imposing defensive front line.

Are there scoring concerns? Yes, but Irving and Davis is a pretty strong 1-2 punch offensively. Thompson can still score a bit. They don’t need to be an elite offense when their defense has potential to be so good.

In addition, the team the Nuggets just lost to in the playoffs in the Minnesota Timberwolves had an elite scoring guard surrounded by lengthy, athletic, and physical defenders that could battle with Jokic and Denver’s frontcourt size.

The Mavericks are seemingly a new version of that. Maybe they eventually falter, and the logic behind the trade from Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison appears to be entirely miscalculated. Still, the Mavericks could surprise people when the time comes.

On the other side, the Lakers just got Doncic, a megastar who turns 26 years old later this month. Somehow, the Lakers seem to figure out crazier and crazier ways to add superstar talent. This was one of the most shocking moves in NBA history, but it’s almost par for the course in Lakers history.

Will the Lakers be good enough to compete in the playoffs this year? It’s possible, but unlikely. Without a true center (or two) to match up with the Western Conference and elevate their defense, the Lakers just don’t have enough connectors around Doncic and LeBron James.

They do have trade assets though, and things could change for the Lakers (and the NBA) in the next 72 hours. Adding someone like Clint Capela, Myles Turner, or Walker Kessler gets the Lakers closer in the short term.

In the long term though, after LeBron retires, the Lakers are going to be set for the next seven to ten years. It’s easy to configure a team around Doncic’s skill set. Stars around the league will be lining up to be his co-star in Los Angeles once LeBron eventually goes. The Lakers will be relevant, and probably be in championship contention, for a long time as a result of this deal.

Circling back to the Nuggets, it’s why they need to take full advantage of this moment. Teams like the Lakers get a Doncic level superstar every decade or so. Teams like the Nuggets get a Jokic level superstar once. It’s unfair, but it’s the reality of the situation.

So, as the trade deadline gets closer and the Nuggets are forced to make some tough choices, it’s important to remember that this moment in time with Jokic is a fleeting one. Denver must continue to do everything it can to get back to the NBA Finals.

If anything less is going on, it’s fair to be critical, from the top on down.

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